


i hope he is a gentleman

by cardenial



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, First Meetings, M/M, Meet-Cute, it's taako chasing his bliss and messing with lup
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-29
Updated: 2018-05-29
Packaged: 2019-05-15 06:42:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14785443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cardenial/pseuds/cardenial
Summary: “Do you want to pay for that? Or is opening your wallet just a nervous habit?”“Oh,” he said, and turned his head so that the light caught hisknife-sharp cheekbones, holy shit.“My apologies, I don’t think when I’m nervous and my mind was elsewhere.”





	i hope he is a gentleman

**Author's Note:**

> title from FOB's "Where is Your Boy Tonight/Grand Theft Autumn" 
> 
> Kudos are great but comments are fantastic, I love these boys and my wonderful flame wife.
> 
> Also- I'm new to ao3 and if I screwed anything up I'd really appreciate the feedback. 
> 
> Thanks!

Taako didn’t like crowds. He liked people, sure, and he loved attention, but he didn’t like crowds. It was hard to explain. But working in the coffee shop was the perfect way to get around that particular aversion. While he could talk to as many people as needed and handle some truly heinous coffee orders, there was a nice, wide plastic counter between him and the mob that gathered every morning before seven thirty.

“That’ll be 4.49, sweetheart, you can wait at the end of the queue and we’ll have your drink ready in a hot second,” he said, looking past the girl and to the next customer. “Mornin’,” he started, “Welcome to Sloane’s. Our specialty drink today is a-”

“Taako, duck!”

Taako ducked. Before he could even reconsider his actions, his sister vaulted over the nice, wide plastic counter and landed behind the pastry case, rolling to hide beneath the register.

“Lup, what the fuck are you doing,” he whispered, throwing an apologetic smile at the line before turning his glare at her. “I’m working right now. Throw on an apron or leave.”

“I can’t, Koko, my boss is right outside. Well, not really my boss, he’s really more of an older employee who trained me, but I called in sick today because it’s Barry’s birthday and I wanted to keep him company on his day off, and-”

“Holy shit, Lup, I literally don’t have time for this,” Taako said, kicking her leg and turned back to the register. “Our specialty drink today is a Cranberry and Lemon Iced Tea, and it’s student discount day if you’ve got your ID,” he said with an only slightly clenched jaw. He took a few more orders and called Ren over to cover the register before crouching down to deal with Lup. “Are you done?” He asked.

She shook her head. “I can write the orders on the cups if you want? I’ll be here for a few more minutes, I think.”

“Fine.” He handed her his sharpie and pushed the cup rack towards the edge of the counter. He pushed himself up an turned to Ren, thanking her.

“No problem,” she said. “Line’s finished up for now; there’s a guy coming in but I don’t know him. He’ll probably look at the menu for a while.”

“I owe you my life,” Taako said. “Take a scone from the food waste bin.”

Ren grinned. “Your life debt has been paid, boss, thanks!” She turned on her heel and returned to the machines, finishing up the last of the morning rush’s drinks before taking the other barista, a short woman named Hurley, to the back room to kill time.

Taako relaxed, cracking his neck. As he moved on to his knuckles, the man Ren mentioned approached the counter. He was overdressed for the cafe in a full suit with tied-back dreads, and Taako had to discipline himself into not dropping a line. “Welcome to Sloane’s,” he started, “Our specialty drink today is a-”

“Good morning.”

“-Mornin’. It’s a cranberry and lemon-”

“Tall black coffee and an apple turnover,” he interrupted again, pulling out his wallet. Taako, if he had the room behind the counter, would’ve taken a dramatic step back and put his hands on his hips. He briefly mourned the potential power move.

“Excuse me, sir, I’m sorry I’m slowing you down, but would you like to round up your total to donate 67 cents to the local children’s hospital, we-”

“Sure.”

Taako pressed his hands into the counter. “Is that all, _sir_?” He didn’t hide his anger well.  
The man nodded, and Taako caught himself lingering on the dude’s truly ridiculous eyelashes. They were darker than they needed to be and must’ve blocked his vision with how long they were. For a minute, Taako tried to find the seam where they must’ve been glued on, because _hot damn_. “That’s all, thank you.” He turned to go to the end of the counter to wait for his drink, but Taako held up a hand.  
“Do you want to pay for that? Or was opening your wallet just a nervous habit?”

“Oh,” he said and turned his head so that the light caught his _knife-sharp cheekbones, holy shit_. “My apologies, I don’t think when I’m nervous and my mind was elsewhere.”

“No problem, Hemingway. Five bucks, though.” He turned down to Lup to grab the cup and saw her inch as far as possible away from sight. Still, she handed him the cup and mouthed _That’s him_ , pointing at the man. Oh, Taako was going to use this. Taako was _really_ going to use this.

“Hey,” he said as the man swiped his card. “I recognize you. You work with my sister and her boyfriend.”

“Lup and Barry?” When he wasn’t interrupting Taako and trying to steal his purchases, the guy had a nice voice.

“That’s them.”

He nodded. “You must be the twin they keep talking about, then.”

“Name’s Taako. Several minutes older but leagues better looking.”

He laughed. “See, that’s what Lup always says about herself, but I’m not so inclined to believe her after meeting you.” So he was hot and smooth, then. Taako could work with that.

“I like you, homie, you got a name?”

“Kravitz.” Taako wrote it on the cup and added his phone number below it. Kravitz saw the move and smiled gently at him. Taako was momentarily stunned, his hands halfway to closing the marker. “She called in sick today, do you know how she’s doing?” He asked, and Taako grinned.

“Yeah, Krav, I do. She’s, um- she’s got food poisoning. Last I heard she was ‘bursting from both ends.’ Didn’t sound fun. She’d barricaded herself in the bathroom when I left home this morning.”

“Oh, that’s terrible,” Kravitz said. “I hope she didn’t get it from here?”

“No, no, Lup’s, um, one of those people that only eats the fruit that’s already fallen off of trees and all that. You should remember that if you ever order pizza to the office or want to bring in a cake for her birthday. She won’t eat it.” Under the counter, Lup was repeatedly punching Taako’s knee and he tried not to grimace.

“Do you share her preferences?” He asked.

Taako shook his head. “For food? No. I bake half the stuff in the pastry case--speaking of, I should grab your turnover. Scone’s are much better, though, made ‘em this morning. We get the turnovers from some grocery store a couple blocks away.”

“Would you mind terribly if I changed my order, then?”

“Don’t sweat it, my dude, I’ll throw in two free of charge for Lup’s favorite coworker.” He grabbed a paper bag from below the counter and grinned savagely at a furious Lup before turning to the pastry case.

“I would’ve thought it’d be Barry,” Kravitz said.

"Second favorite, then.” He set the bag on the counter and went to go fill Kravitz’s cup from the pot. “Say, Krav, you hear it’s Barry’s birthday today?”

“No,” Taako heard from over his shoulder, “I assume that’s why he has the day off?”

Taako fixed the lid on the cup and handed it directly to Kravitz, ensuring that his hand lingered under the other man’s. “Yup. You should bring in cookies or something tomorrow, to show him he’s appreciated and all that shit. But don’t get any for Lup, remember?” At that, she delivered an especially motivated kick to his shin. “Y’know, we cater if you’re interested.”

Kravitz smiled. “That’s a wonderful idea, Taako, I’ve been trying to instill a more communal environment in the office and this is a great step towards my goal. Do you have forms I would need to fill out?”

Taako had them ready. He pushed them across the counter and gave his best ruin-my-sister’s-week-and-buy-me-dinner-afterwards smile. “Have them filled out and returned before three today and you can come pick whatever you order up tomorrow morning. Don’t go crazy, though. I’m only one baker.”

“I’ll do my best,” he said. “Thanks again for the idea. And the scones. I’ll have to pay you back sometime.” He picked up his bag and the forms and went to leave, turning back to Taako before opening the door.

“Really, I owe you.”

Taako crossed his arms over his apron and leaned against the latte machine behind him. “Take me to dinner then, Krav.”

“I’d love to,” Kravitz said and looked down at his cup and back up at Taako. “I’ll text you.”

“Can’t wait.”

As Kravitz left and began walking down the street, Taako slouched and loosened the ties on his apron. When he looked over at his sister, she was standing with her fists clenched. “I’m going to kill you,” she said, and Taako laughed.

“Can you wait a few days? I’ve got dinner plans.”

“I’m going to burn your house down.”

“Lup, we share an apartment.”

“An apartment in which I have bowel issues, apparently! Thanks for that, by the way.”

Taako shrugged. “Took advantage of the opportunity. And get out of my store, nerd. Go hang out with your boyfriend. Don’t tell him about the cookies, though. They’re a surprise.”

“Fuck you.”

“Love you too, Lulu, now screw off. I’ve gotta start planning an outfit for my date with your boss.” She shook her head and pushed past him, leaving through the back.

“I’m taking your fucked up scones!” She called from the back room.

Taako tsked and started a fresh pot of coffee. “Leave one for Ren, dick,” he called back. There wasn’t a response. Taako switched out the pots and absentmindedly wiped down the machines behind the counter. Lup could’ve taken the whole inventory, for all he cared. He had an outfit to plan.


End file.
